Euro 2020 LIVE: England vs Germany latest plus Wales v Denmark last 16 build-up
Keep track with all the latest Euro 2020 news and build-up to Wales v Denmark and Italy v Austria as the round of 16 matches begin
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Your support makes all the difference.Keep up to date with all the latest news from Euro 2020 as England prepare to face Germany with Wales poised to kick off the round of 16 against Denmark on Saturday.
Leon Goretzka came on to their rescue Germany in the dying stages of Wednesday’s Group F conclusion, which of course means Germany travel to Wembley next Tuesday to take on England.
Though Die Mannschaft represent a tough first opponent in the knockouts, England can still count themselves lucky to have fallen on the favourable side of the draw. Wales on the other hand have a very tough run through to the latter stages of the tournament, with Denmark up first, but they also feature in the same side of the draw as France, Italy, Spain and Croatia, while Belgium take on Portugal in the standout fixture, with Cristiano Ronaldo fresh from breaking yet another international record.
Jordan Henderson, who banked a half of football in the Three Lions’ final game against Czech Republic, has moved to rally his teammates: “We’ve got quite a young squad but I think that can be a positive thing. A lot of these lads just go out and play, enjoy the game, play with no fear. And that’s what they need to do again on Tuesday. Go and enjoy it, go and show everybody how good they are. Use the emotion and passion in the right way to give you energy for the game, because that can be the difference really. As an experienced player I can help with that and make sure we’re in the right frame of mind going into the game and make sure training’s at the level it needs to be over the next few days to prepare for that one. Everybody’s confident, everybody’s feeling good and we’ve got a good few days to prepare for a huge game. But a lot of the lads have played in huge games already: Champions League finals, Champions League games, cup finals, big games for England. They’re used to big games even though they’re young and I’m sure they’re looking forward to this one.”
Follow all the latest news from the tournament as we build up to the first round of knockout games:
Euro 2020 team of the group stage with Cristiano Ronaldo, Jorginho and Danny Ward
Boring or blitz machine: Which Germany will turn up against England at Euro 2020?
Euro 2020: Power ranking every nation in the last 16 by chances of winning the tournament this summer
England vs Germany: Can you still buy tickets for Euro 2020 match at Wembley?
Who will win England vs Germany Euro 2020 last-16 match and what are the odds?
Premier League to fund grassroots defibrilators
Some positive news this evening, with the Premier League funding grassroots defibrillators for more than 2000 grassroots clubs. The first 1000 units will be delivered before the end of the season.
Earlier, Manchester City had announced that they would provide defibrillators to grassroots teams in East Manchester.
Why is VAR working so well at the Euros?
Uefa’s refereeing chief isn’t the only one to spot how well VAR has been used during Euro 2020, with many from across the footballing world praising its success.
It is worlds apart from what we are used to in the Premier League where lengthy and often controversial interventions have become commonplace.
Here, Lawrence Ostlere takes a look at why it has worked so well:
Why is VAR working so well at Euro 2020?
A dedicated offside official and closed-doors policy has helped Uefa to implement VAR smoothly from its headquarters in Nyon – and the Premier League is taking note
Chelsea FC Women sell out season tickets
The first time in the club’s history, Chelsea FC’s women's team have sold out season tickets for the 2021/22 campaign – and they did so in just over two weeks.
It is an extremely positive sign of the increased support for the club in recent years after strong performances which have seen them win the back-to-back Women’s Super League titles.
Guy Laurence, Chelsea chief executive, said: “The Women’s team have had a hugely successful and historic season, and it’s great to see that the achievements on the pitch mean more fans want to come down to Kingsmeadow to enjoy the games in person.
‘Next season sees the start of the new broadcast deal with the BBC and Sky Sports, so the women’s game will be more accessible than ever. We look forward to seeing women’s football grow in success, with Chelsea Women at the forefront.”
The blues regularly topped the league’s attendance tables and off-the-field success is now coming as a result of that on it.
Varane wants Manchester United move
Raphael Varane wants to join Manchester United due to his belief that now is the time for a new experience in his career.
The France centre-back’s decision comes as Real Madrid enter a period of transition.
The centre-half, 28, is United’s top defensive target, with Villareal and Spain star Pau Torres seen as an alternative.
One of the many stumbling blocks to sign Varane would be his wages, as he is pushing to earn as much as £400,000 a week.
United are wary of overpaying for contracts after issues with previous purchases such as Alexis Sanchez.
Raphael Varane wants Manchester United move
The France defender has spent 10 years with the La Liga giants but feels like now is the time to move on
Phil Foden expects more from himself in Euros
England’s Phil Foden expects more from himself after failing to meet his own expectations with his performances for Gareth Southgate’s side so far during Euro 2020.
“To be honest, I expect a lot more from myself but I’m not going to be too harsh,” Foden said.
“I didn’t really get involved in the games as much I would have liked. Hopefully, I can get the opportunity to play again and show what I am about. I feel like I’ve still got so much more to show this tournament.
“Like I’ve done for my club, I’ve been scoring a lot of goals and I just want to continue that form into the national team.
“And I believe that, hopefully in the next game, I can start getting involved in the goals.”
Matthaus unhappy with Löw’s tactical tinkering
Germany legend Lothar Matthaus has said that he is unhappy with Joachim Löw’s changing of tactics in the current Euros squad, believing that it creates a sense of insecurity.
He said: “I don’t have the feeling I had seven years ago when he won the World Cup.
“I was missing the connection between himself on the bench and the players on the field. He changed so many things. He changed one player for another and also the system.
“Joshua Kimmich played four positions (against Hungary). He started on the line, playing like a number seven. Then at the start of the second half he was playing number eight.
“After 10 minutes, he was number six where (Toni) Kroos was playing before. And then we had to go all in because we needed a goal and he was playing in the back four as a right-back!
“OK, in the end we had a result, but how can each player feel confident generally when we are changing so many things during a game? From the position of a player to the changes. There’s no security for the team.”
Euro 2020: More next to come throughout the day
That’s all from Gareth Bale and Robert page. We’ll be hearing from Denmark’s representatives some time this evening.
Robert Page on having to move around Europe
“We can’t grumble about it, it is what it is. This is how it’s unfolded that we’ve gone to Baku and Rome and now we’re in Amsterdam.
“The travel’s been first class, I’ve got to say that credit goes to people behind the scenes who’ve organised all of the travel for us and the flights.
“It’s not been easy with Covid on top of that, it’s made it harder. We’re fully prepared now and we’re ready for a battle because it is going to be a battle tomorrow.”
Robert Page on support from back home
“I’m really excited about the game tomorrow. The support we’ve had from back home, as much as it’s frustrating for everybody, the messages we’ve had, the social media with kids in school singing the national anthem for us, it’s a montage of clips that we’re going to put together and show the players.
“We know that come tomorrow, come kickoff, all of the nation are going to be behind us.”
Robert Page on facing Denmark
“They’re in the last 16 for a reason. They haven’t fluked their way there and we’re up against a very good outfit. They don’t half work hard for each other.
“We’ve watched a few games back, we’ve watched their performance against a very good Belgium outfit where they more than held their own. They took an early lead and Belgium had to change things in the second half to get on top.”
On the support for Christian Eriksen:
“First and foremost our priority is support for Christian and making sure he’s on the mend, that’s all that matters in life. It’s about him going back to his family and being well.
“Obviously the world have got involved with that and the emotion but we can’t get involved with it. It’s another game for us.”
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